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SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg University will make the second and last of its scheduled four-plus hour regular season road trips this week when the Red Raiders head to Long Island to face the Pioneers of C.W. Post at 1 p.m. SU is looking for its first 3-0 divisional start since 2001 while traveling to Hickox Field for the first time since 1981.

• The game will be broadcast live on Shippensburg University's student radio station (WSYC 88.7 FM) and on the internet (www.wsyc.org). Pre-game starts at 12:55 p.m. Interim sports information director Bill Morgal will handle the play-by-play. Live statistics will be available through the C.W. Post athletics Web site, http://www.cwpostpioneers.com.

• The Red Raiders have scored at least 23 points in all five games this season, a feat not achieved since 1999, and have made convincing statements to the conference with victories over No. 15 Edinboro and previously undefeated East Stroudsburg. Shippensburg is 4-1 at the start of the season for the first time since 2004, when the Red Raiders tied for the PSAC Western Division Championship.

• Shippensburg currently leads the PSAC in scoring offense with an average of 39.4 points per game. The Red Raider Wing-T has also thrived with ball control, ranking first in the conference with an average time of possession at 33:07 per game and ranking first in the conference with an average of 225.4 rushing yards per game. Overall, Shippensburg ranks among the league's Top 5 in 17 different categories.

• On a national level, the Red Raiders rank 11th in Division II for scoring offense, 13th in Division II for rushing offense, and 13th in the nation for passing efficiency under the capable direction of redshirt senior quarterback Chad DiFebbo. Defensively, the constant pressure from the defensive line and the Wild West formation has resulted in Shippensburg ranking ninth in Division II for sacks.

CONVERTING WHEN IT MATTERS: THIRD DOWN

•  Shippensburg has reversed a recent struggle from years passed with its knack for converting in clutch situations this season — specifically on third down plays. The Red Raiders lead the PSAC with a 50 percent third-down conversion rate (33-of-66) and rank 10th in Division II for the category.  

•  The defense has been just as superb in similar situations. The Red Raider defense has allowed opponents to convert just 24.6 percent of their third-down opportunities (15-of-61), also leading the PSAC and ranking ninth in Division II for the category.

• The stellar efforts on both sides of the ball earn Shippensburg the distinction of being the only team in Division II to rank among the Top 10 for both offensive and defensive third-down conversions.

DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY ON SPECIAL TEAMS

•  Shippensburg has always had a knack for strong special teams play and this year's unit supervised by assistant coach Pete Lee has been solid in every which way imaginable — ranking atop the PSAC and 10th in Division II for net punting, third in the PSAC for punt return average and sixth in the PSAC for kickoff return average.

•  Senior punter Kyler Ford leads the conference with an average of 41.8 yards per punt, including a long of 56 yards, but the offense has been so efficient that he does not rank among the nation's leaders because the requirement is an average of 3.6 punts per game. Ford's career average entering this season was 39.3 yards per punt.

•  Senior split end Mike Harris ranks 31st in the nation with an average of 12.3 yards per punt return, while freshman split end Bryan Barley has made a name for himself on kick returns, ranking 34th in Division II with an average of 26.7 yards per return.

C.W. POST AT-A-GLANCE

• Observers should not be fooled by the 1-4 record of C.W. Post. The Pioneers have progressively improved their offense in every game this season while playing competitive and close contests with some of the juggernauts in the region, including road contests against Bloomsburg, Edinboro and Indiana (Pa.).
 
• The rushing attack of the Pioneers nearly matched the explosive power of Shippensburg — C.W. Post ranks second in the PSAC and 17th in Division II with an average of 205.2 yards per game.

• C.W. Post's defense is tall and strong — and one of their strengths is tackling the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage. The Pioneers average 8.8 tackles for loss per game, ranking them atop the PSAC and 12th in Division II.

• The Pioneers are also plenty strong against the pass, leading the PSAC by allowing just 147 yards through the air per game. That production ranks 17th in Division II and could be a key matchup facing a Red Raider offensive attack that has the capability to stretch the field with Chad DiFebbo and Mike Harris.

C.W. POST HEAD COACH BRYAN COLLINS

• Bryan Collins is the head football coach and the athletic director for Long Island University's C.W. Post campus. He is in his 12th season at the helm of the Pioneer football team and has compiled an overall record of 88-38.

• Collins' teams have always boasted a strong defense, as C.W. Post has led Division II in fewest rushing yards allowed four times under his direction. On two occasions, the Pioneers led Division II in total defense.

• Perhaps Collins' finest moment came in 2002, when the Pioneers reached the Division II NCAA playoffs and competed as the only non-scholarship squad among the 16 competing teams that year and posted an 11-1 record. Collins was named the AFCA Regional Coach of the Year and the Coach of the Year by the Northeast-10 Conference.

SHIPPENSBURG HEAD COACH ROCKY REES

• William M. “Rocky” Rees begins his 20th season at the helm of the Red Raider football program and currently ranks tenth among active Division II coaches with 147 career victories. With that total, Rees ranks seventh in the history of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) for career coaching victories.

• Rees has a long and distinguished career in football that spans 37 years. The all-time leader for coaching victories in Red Raider football history, Rees has totaled an SU career record of 112-102-1 (.521) at Shippensburg. Overall, he owns a career mark of 148-117-2 (.556). In 2006, he became the first coach in school history to win 100 games with a 28-21 victory at Slippery Rock.

• Rees ranks fourth in tenure among conference head coaches behind Denny Douds of East Stroudsburg (36th season), Danny Hale of Bloomsburg (22nd season) and Dr. George Mihalik of Slippery Rock (22nd season). Additionally, Rees ranks sixth in career games coached among his active Division II brethren.

Complete notes can be found by accessing the above link.